Swirling-flow micro mixer and method

Abstract

A method and apparatus for efficiently and rapidly mixing liquids in a swirling flow micro system is disclosed. The micro mixer disclosed is a passive mixer of planar structure for simpler configuration and fabrication. The streams injected tangentially into the mixing chamber produce circular multi-lamination for effective mixing of the injected streams. The injection velocity and position can be altered by adjusting the contour and exit area of the nozzles. The planar mixer can be fabricated by the normal photolithography process in conjunction with anodic bonding. More economically the layered structures of the mixer can also be fabricated in thin plastic sheets using stamping, embossing or other thermal deformation techniques. The different layers are thermally bonded for mass production.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A micro mixer, comprising: 
 a chamber having a rounded inner surface; and    first and second nozzles, coupled to first and second inlets of the chamber for injecting first and second streams, respectively, into the chamber and causing rotation of the first and second streams to produce a mixture of the first and second streams within the chamber.    
     
     
         2 . A method of mixing first and second streams in a micro mixer, comprising: 
 injecting the first stream through a first nozzle into a chamber having a rounded inner surface; and    injecting the second stream through a second nozzle into the chamber to cause a rotation of the first and second streams to produce a mixture of the first and second streams within the chamber.